Arise
The Hebrew word for "arise" is "קוּם" (qum), which conveys a sense of urgency and action. In the context of Jonah, this command from God is not merely a suggestion but a divine imperative. It calls Jonah to immediate obedience, highlighting the urgency of God's mission. The word "arise" is often used in the Old Testament to signify a call to action, a transition from a state of rest or inactivity to one of purpose and movement. This reflects the nature of God's call to His people, which often requires leaving comfort zones to fulfill His will.

go to Nineveh
The phrase "go to Nineveh" is significant both geographically and historically. Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, known for its great size and influence, as well as its wickedness. The Hebrew word for "go" is "לֵךְ" (lekh), which implies a journey or pilgrimage. This command to go to Nineveh is a call to cross cultural and national boundaries, emphasizing God's concern for all nations, not just Israel. Nineveh's historical context as a powerful and often oppressive city underscores the radical nature of God's mercy and the breadth of His compassion.

that great city
The description of Nineveh as "that great city" underscores its prominence and significance. The Hebrew word "גָּדוֹל" (gadol) means "great" or "large," indicating not only the city's physical size but also its importance and influence. In the ancient world, Nineveh was a symbol of human achievement and power, yet it was also a place of moral and spiritual decay. This juxtaposition highlights the tension between human greatness and divine judgment, setting the stage for God's message of repentance and redemption.

and cry out against it
The command to "cry out against it" uses the Hebrew word "קָרָא" (qara), which means to call out, proclaim, or announce. This is a prophetic action, where Jonah is to deliver God's message of impending judgment. The phrase suggests a public declaration, one that is bold and unambiguous. It reflects the role of a prophet as a mouthpiece for God, tasked with delivering messages that are often unpopular or challenging. This call to cry out against Nineveh emphasizes the seriousness of their sin and the necessity of repentance.

for their wickedness
The term "wickedness" is translated from the Hebrew word "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which denotes evil, wrongdoing, or moral corruption. Nineveh's wickedness is the reason for God's impending judgment, highlighting the city's need for repentance. This word is often used in the Old Testament to describe actions that are contrary to God's will and character. The mention of Nineveh's wickedness serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for divine intervention.

has come up before Me
The phrase "has come up before Me" indicates that Nineveh's sins have reached a point where God can no longer overlook them. The Hebrew word "עָלָה" (alah) means to ascend or rise, suggesting that the magnitude of Nineveh's wickedness has reached the heavens. This imagery conveys the idea that God is aware of human actions and that there is a point at which divine patience gives way to judgment. It underscores the omniscience of God and His active involvement in the affairs of nations, reminding us that no sin is hidden from His sight.

(2) Nineveh, that great city.--The size of Nineveh is throughout the book brought into prominent notice. (See Jonah 3:2-3; Jonah 4:11.) The traditions preserved in Greek and Roman writers dwell on the same feature; and modern researches among the huge mounds scattered along the left bank of the Tigris more than confirm the impression produced on the ancient world by the city, or rather group of cities, buried beneath them. (Comp. Genesis 10:11.)

Cry.--A common word for a proclamation by a herald or a prophet. (Comp. Isaiah 40:6, &c.) The English word, in the sense of "proclaim," lingers in the term "public crier."

For their wickedness is come up before me.--"Every iniquity has its own voice at the hidden judgment seat of God" (S. Gregory, Mor. v. 20; quoted by Pusey). But, as Pusey remarks, the Hebrew implies especially evil-doing against others, that violence which in Jonah 3:8 is recognised by the Ninevites themselves as their characteristic sin. . . .

Verse 2. - Nineveh, the capital of the kingdom of Assyria, is first mentioned in Genesis 10:11, as founded by Nimrod. It stood on the left bank of the river Tigris, where it is joined by the Khosr, opposite to the present town of Mosul. The Assyrians had already become known in Syria. In B.C. 854 Shal-maneser II. had defeated at Karkar twelve kings confederate against him, among whom is reckoned Ahab King of Israel. Long before his time, Tiglath-Pileser I. had made a great expedition to the west, captured a town at the foot of Lebanon, and reached the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Jehu was compelled to pay tribute to the Assyrians; and Rimmon-nirari, who reigned from B.C. 810 to 781, held the suzerainty of Phoenicia, Samaria, Edom, and Philistia. Jonah, therefore, knew well what his country might expect at the hands of this people. That great city. It is thus called in Jonah 3:2, 3; Jonah 4:11; and the epithet is added here in order to show to Jonah the importance of his mission. The size of Nineveh is variously estimated according to the sense attached to the name "Nineveh." This appellation may be restricted to Nineveh proper, or it may comprise the four cities which lay close together in the immediate neighbourhood of each other, and whose remains are now known as the mounds of Kouyunjik, on the southwest, directly opposite to Mosul; Nimrud, about eighteen miles to the southeast; Karamless, twelve miles to the north; and Khorsabad, the most northerly, about the same distance both from Karamless and Kouyunjik. Khorsabad, however, was not built till some hundred years after Jonah's time (Schrader, 'Keilinschr.,' p. 448). These cities are contained in an irregular parallelogram of some sixty miles in circumference. The following account of Nineveh proper is derived from Professor Rawlinson, 'Ancient Monarchies,' 1:252, etc.: "The ruins consist of two principal mounds, Nebbiyunus and Kouyunjik. The Kouyunjik mound, which lies nearly half a mile northwest of the others, is very much the more considerable of the two. Its shape is an irregular oval, elongated to a point towards the northeast. The surface is nearly flat; the sides slope at a steep angle, and are furrowed with numerous ravines worn in the soft material by the rains of some thirty centuries. The greatest height above the plain is ninety feet, and the area is estimated at a hundred acres. It is an artificial eminence, computed to contain 14,500,000 tons of earth, and on it were erected the palaces and temples of the Assyrian monarchs. The mound of Nebbi-yunus is at its base nearly triangular, and covers an area of nearly forty acres. It is loftier, and its sides are more precipitous than Kouyunjik, especially on the west, where it abutted on the wall of the city. The mass of earth is calculated at six and a half millions of tons. These two vast mounds are both in the same line, and abutted on the western wall of the city, which was some two and a half miles in length. Anciently it seems to have immediately overhung the Tigris, but the river has now receded to the west, leaving a plain of nearly a mile in width between its bank and the old rampart which evidently once followed the course of the river bank. The western wall is joined at fight angles by the northern rampart which runs in a straight line for seven thousand feet. At its other extremity the western wall forms a very obtuse angle with the southern, which impends over a deep ravine, and runs in a straight line for about a thousand yards, when it meets the eastern wall, which is the longest and the least regular of the four. The entire length of this side is sixteen thousand feet, or above three miles. It is divided into two portions by. the Stream of the Khosr-su; which, coming from the northwest, finds its way through the city and then across the low plain to the Tigris. The town is thus of an oblong shape, and the circuit of its walls is somewhat less than eight miles, and the area which they include is eighteen hundred acres. This, at the computation of something less than one hundred inhabitants per acre, would ascribe to Nineveh a population of one hundred and seventy-five thousand souls" (Rawlinson, 'Anc. Men.,' 1. ch. 1). Cry against it. The message is given in Jonah 3:4. Thus the knowledge of the true God is made known among the Gentiles. Their wickedness; i.e., as Pusey notes, their evil doing towards others, as in Nahum 3:19 (see Introduction, § I.). Is come up before me, and appeals for punishment, as Genesis 4:10; Genesis 18:20, 21; Septuagint, Ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγή τῆς κακίας αὐτής πρὸς μέ, "The cry of its wickedness is come up unto me."

Parallel Commentaries ...


“Arise!
ק֠וּם (qūm)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

Go
לֵ֧ךְ (lêḵ)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the great
הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה (hag·gə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

city
הָעִ֥יר (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

of Nineveh
נִֽינְוֵ֛ה (nî·nə·wêh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 5210: Nineveh -- capital of Assyr

and preach
וּקְרָ֣א (ū·qə·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

against it,
עָלֶ֑יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

its wickedness
רָעָתָ֖ם (rā·‘ā·ṯām)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

has come up
עָלְתָ֥ה (‘ā·lə·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

before Me.”
לְפָנָֽי׃ (lə·p̄ā·nāy)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face


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OT Prophets: Jonah 1:2 Arise go to Nineveh that great city (Jon. Jh)